Sony Recalls Select Clie TJ-35 Models

Posted By: Ryan Tuesday, December 16, 2003 9:08:45 AM

Sony has issued a notice via their handheld support site, that an initial production batch of Clie TJ-35 models are being recalled and repaired. The problem is a LCD backlight issue, that Sony will correct at no charge to affected customers.

Sony SJ35Instructions to determine if your Clie Tj-35 is covered under the recall, can be found at the support notice. Customers are instructed to check their models serial number against the company's database.

If your CLIÉ handheld serial number is within the affected range, Sony will provide express pick-up and return shipment service to correct this LCD backlight issue at no charge to you. The problem will be corrected by Sony Service Centers or Sony Authorized Service Centers in accordance with Sony’s limited warranty.

Sony goes on to state, You may also contact the Sony Customer Information Services Center for further assistance and instructions at 1-866-666-1801. We at Sony apologize for any inconvenience this LCD backlight issue causes you, and hope you understand that Sony is taking this action as part of our ongoing commitment to maintain excellent product quality.

Find the lowest price on a Sony Clie TJ-35

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Great Customer Service

chinchorrero @ 12/16/2003 10:19:49 AM #
Great Customer Services
Cheers

"Life is Too Short"
Tungsten T3-Sony ericsson T610,HBH-60,SanDisk 256Mb Sd Card

Screws falling off the Palm T3

snugglefart @ 12/16/2003 10:44:43 AM #
Now if we could get PalmOneSource [whatever they calls themselves today] to acknowledge that the Cheepie screws they put on the T3 are a material defect.

What a major dissappointment man

RE: Screws falling off the Palm T3
Admin @ 12/16/2003 11:28:53 AM #
I consider them an aesthetic defect as well!
RE: Screws falling off the Palm T3
sub_tex @ 12/16/2003 12:31:22 PM #
I haven't read anything about screws falling off. . .

Could you elaborate more on this? Is the casing of the T3 falling apart?

RE: Screws falling off the Palm T3
snugglefart @ 12/16/2003 12:37:52 PM #
ELABORATION:

Well, it seems that the screws on my T3 keep popping off. The specific screws to which I refer are the one's on the external part of the slider. As one who gingerly carries around his T3, I was shocked when I seen the first one missing. It happened within the 1st month of ownership. I then noticed other screws on the slider coming lose. I used my eyeglass kit to tighen these, and now they are housed in the Proporta Metal case.

I thought I had a problem with my T3, but I keep reading on the boards here and at BrightHand and PalmOneCity that peeps is having the same problem. And to make matters worse, PalmOneSourceHandPilotSpring [whateva the hell the call they selves this week] is making two absurd offers:

1. Replacement with a used T3
2. $125 for a packet of $.05 screws to be sent out to you.

Really sad, since the T3 itself has been an excellent unit to date for me. I was never impressed with the hyperventilating going on about the SanDisk SD card thing, those technical glitches happen. This is a fundamentally defecting manufacture defect. They gotta show some respect to those who spent top $$ for one of these things man

RE: Screws falling off the Palm T3
sub_tex @ 12/16/2003 12:59:24 PM #
hmm...

thanks for the info. I'm planning on getting a T3 after Christmas. This info makes me think twice about it, or at least makes me darn sure that a case needs to be picked up asap.

RE: Screws falling off the Palm T3
Altema @ 12/16/2003 1:16:53 PM #
Odd, looks like an assembly issue. Were the screw holes stripped? If not, then the issue can be resolved with a drop of Permatex LocTite from an auto parts store.

We have 2 T3's. My wife's T3 gets the baby treatment, but mine gets used very hard (My T1 had DENTS). This is the first time I've heard of this issue.

RE: Screws falling off the Palm T3
Strider_mt2k @ 12/16/2003 5:30:44 PM #
Talk to an owner of a crumbling m130 about how well P1 handles this stuff...

RE: Screws falling off the Palm T3
JonathanChoo @ 12/16/2003 11:59:17 PM #
The screws are very small (only 2 mm deep) but never heard that it falls out. But I do know that a screw went missing on my old Sony T625 (left side of the HotSync serial port)!

Generic Casio > Psion 5/StarTac > Vx > m505 > Sony N770C > Sony T625C/Ericsson T39m > Sony NR70V > Toshiba e310 > Tungsten T/Ericsson T68m > HP h2210 > Tungsten T3/Ericsson T610
RE: Screws falling off the Palm T3
rogerkang @ 12/17/2003 1:14:06 AM #
uh, why not just use a little loctite? I know, it's a pain and it's not something that you should *need* to do...but it's a simple fix and it doesn't cost more than a couple of bucks to buy some loctite (which you can use for other things, too...)

RE: Screws falling off the Palm T3
Mattin @ 1/15/2004 4:09:31 PM #
Yes, it happend today, after a month, a screw is missing. The screw type is realy special one hard to find, it is larger than screws used in clocks and glasses and smaller than all others!

Pity, the T3 is otherwise a miracle.

Just waiting for burning SD card now :( !


RE: Screws falling off the Palm T3
grandpaokc @ 1/23/2004 11:16:44 AM #
I have lost 3 of the 4 screws out out my T3. I purchased the extended warranty. Palm will not send me the screws and cannot provide me specs on the screws so that I can purchase them on the net. I guess my only option is to send the T3 in for service. This is my first Palm product, I consider this VERY poor service.

RE: Screws falling off the Palm T3
CAV @ 2/18/2004 11:16:01 AM #
Guess I am joining the club. Anyone getting a better solution to finding replacement case screws for the Tungsten T3, e.g., anyone find a vendor for these screws?

RE: Screws falling off the Palm T3
backhand @ 4/15/2004 12:16:07 AM #
Today, I just noticed 2 screws missing on one side of my T3's slider after a recent business trip.

I found this active link to a petition addressing this specific issue:

http://www.petitiononline.com/t3flaw/petition.html

If enough people sign it, maybe we could at least make these screws available for a reasonable price. At least this proves these are not isolated cases.

So much price gouging these days; it's a real shame. What do we have to do? Class action?

backhand

RE: Screws falling off the Palm T3
RhinoSteve @ 4/15/2004 2:23:48 PM #
I for one will NOT be signing this petition. Frankly, I have heard of this and everyone, who said this I ask, "So did you do any inspection and maintenance of your T3?" I get a blank stare or a mumbled "no."

There are things called screwdrivers guys! When your screws get loose, you tighten them back up. I have seen this myself and a tightening is all that was needed and my unit is fine. As far as replacement screws, there are many fastener companies that usually have these in stock.

Handheld electronic equipment has expected wear since it is rarely stationary during use. At the consumer prise point, expecting it to be abuse proof it not reasonable at all.

So you going to start a petition to have a car company recognize you not changing the oil and your engine seizing as a defect too?

RE: Screws falling off the Palm T3
backhand @ 4/15/2004 6:34:44 PM #
Well Rhino:

I, for one, could honestly look you straight in the eye and say with a loud self-assured tone that I have NEVER even thought of opening my T3!

I went on a business trip, with my T3 in my shirt pocket most of the time. On my return to the office, I noticed 2 of the screws on one side had fallen out. Couldn't find them anywhere. I took one of the remaining 2 and screwed it into one of the holes on the other side, using , a... SCREWDRIVER!!!!

There's a lot of equipment I take on the road with me that have visible, or sunken screws; none of them have ever come out on their own. EVER. The fact that this has happened without my intervention on a device that is hardly 4 months old (purchased new...in a sealed box..from a resptected retailer...) is just not acceptable.


RE: Screws falling off the Palm T3
24fc @ 4/16/2004 11:45:08 PM #
I have a T3 that I purchased in October. I heard about the screws coming off back then, and I keep a very tiny screwdriver with me to tighten them with if I see one loose.

Two of them got away before I could put loctite on them. I never loosened them or touched them - they would come loose all by themselves and need constant tightening.

I finally put scotch tape over the sides of the slider to keep the other two from coming off and to hold the unit together.

I wrote palm a rather long letter about the low quality of their T3 product in so many regards:

* fried memory cards
* clockspeed after power cycle 1/2 of normal
* failure to notify of rom patch in a timely fashion
* screws falling out

I asked them to provide specs on the screws and provide me with replacements. I offered to send in my unit for QA and research if necessary.

That was two months ago.

NO ANSWER.

PalmOne is a crappy operation and Palm OS deserves to go out of style and be replaced by Microsoft Products. I will never buy Palm junk again.

RE: Screws falling off the Palm T3 + Palm quality control
;-( @ 4/17/2004 1:41:22 PM #
PalmOne is a crappy operation and Palm OS deserves to go out of style and be replaced by Microsoft Products. I will never buy Palm junk again.

OUCH!

While most people who know much about Palm hardware would agree with you that Palm now markets substandard hardware, let's not confuse the OS with Palm brand hardware. PocketPC still can't compete with PalmOS in term of functionality - despite several years of tweaking by Microsoft. Furthermore, many PPC vendors have also put out poorly made hardware. And the last time I checked, Casio - who previously made the best PPC devices - has dropped PPC because the OS failed to live up to expectations. If you're happy with Palm software, moving to PPC would probaly be a big mistake for you. Take a look at the PalmOS devices that are sold by Sony, Garmin and Tapwave when you decide to dump your Palm. remember: devices made in the USA, Japan and Taiwan have historically benn more reliable/durable than those from China, Mexico or Hungary. Demand better quality from Palm and let them know you won't accept junk.



It's massive. Massive.

RE: Screws falling off the Palm T3
Parasanger @ 4/27/2004 8:54:19 PM #
Youch! Today I lost my second T3 screw and had my first run-in with palmOne support in Bangalore. $125 to repace two $.05 screws is rediculous.

This is my third Palm device, and my second T. The first was a T1 and all four screws are still in the slider. My three month old T3 has two missing.

Tomorrow I call Palm corporate and raise hell. Wish me luck.

Yes, I do inspect my palm. The scress showed no signs of being loose before jumping ship. The remaining two are not loose. We'll just have to see if they stick around.

Has anyone taken the screws to an eye glass place to see if they have anything like them?

RE: Screws falling off the Palm T3
omega5 @ 5/21/2004 4:14:11 PM #
Here's a solution I propose that will get Palms attention quick. Please don't lecture me about ethics because it seems to me that Palm isn't very ethical about support on this issue. Goto your nearest Staples, office Depot, etc and purchase a T3. Remove the screws you need from the new T3, repackage it and return it to the vendor as defective. The vendor will then return the defective T3 to Palm for a full credit. Is Palm really any worse off? After all, there suggestion was to send the unit in for "repair", and that's exactly what they're getting!

RE: Screws falling off the Palm T3
ccastiglia @ 12/9/2004 4:10:17 PM #
Here's another solution: buy either exact replacement nickel plated screws *or* 24K Gold plated screws from InfosystemsPro LLC. Just $5.95 for a package of four nickel plated screws or $6.95 for six 24K Gold plated screws. Free shipping in the US, $0.23 to Canada or Mexico, and $0.43 anywhere else.

Get them at http://www.infosystemspro.com/pdaparts.htm



Ya

Palm4u @ 12/16/2003 1:18:04 PM #
Ya, at least Sony is admitting its a fault and will fix it for free.

Better than Palm's frying SD cards and not replacing your fried SD card !!!

Sometimes, bigger names have better service.

================================
PDAs rule the world !

RE: Ya
ZekeSulastin @ 12/16/2003 9:14:39 PM #
Uhh - didn't at least SanDisk say they'd replace the card? Last time I looked, a manufacturer's warranty only covered the device itself, not anything added to it ...

I too haven't heard of the screws falling out ... interesting ...

Sony's support really isn't super-great - for a bit, they refused to admit the TJ-35 had a problem - the first time we found it was real was when another company took it apart and found the exact defect ... and also, some people on ClieSource are reporting the problem on serial numbers outside the range on the site ...

RE: Ya
Palm4u @ 12/17/2003 9:29:30 AM #
True, usually no mfg will cover what you PUT into their devices. But in this case, it was most likely due to the Palm T devices that messed up the SD card for sure. So they should at least admit to their flaws in design and poor QA control. Compensate users somehow.

Not sure how others with a dead SD feels, but I would be pi$$ed if a Sony CD player that kept scratching my CDs everytime I use it. Ruining my CDs...

================================
PDAs rule the world !

RE: Ya
a_nonamiss @ 12/17/2003 3:02:25 PM #
Ok, I have a questions about the fried SD cards. Does anyone actually OWN a SD card that was fried by an offending T3? I think this is an urban legend that everyone takes as fact. There was, in fact, a problem with SD cards getting ERASED (My 512MB SanDisk was erased 3 times before the fix - A cardreader format in Windows was required to make it better) but to my knowledge, it never actually DESTROYS the card. All I see on the message boards is people complaining that they would be mad if it happened, and they heard of someone that it happened to. That's how Urban Legends work. Please post a reply here if you actually OWN a card that was DESTROYED by a T3 and a hard format (in Windows, not on the Palm) failed to rectify the problem. Please list the name/manufacture of the SD card. I want to see if this gets any hits.

Also worth noting: SanDisk cards have a 5 year warranty. The T3 bug was only supposed to affect 256 and 512MB SanDisk cards. Am I wrong in thinking that 100% of these cards would be replaced under the warranty if in fact they went bad? I know it's an inconvenience, but I don't believe that anyone has been permanently harmed by this mishap.

Arthur

Palm Pilot 1000 > Palm Pilot Professional > Palm III > Palm M100 > Sony Clié PEG-T415 > Palm T|T3

We are not alone!
backhand @ 4/15/2004 12:07:11 AM #

Today, I just noticed 2 screws missing on one side of my T3's slider after a recent business trip.

I found this active link to a petition addressing this specific issue:

http://www.petitiononline.com/t3flaw/petition.html

If enough people sign it, maybe we could at least make these screws available for a reasonable price. At least this proves these are not isolated cases.

So much price gouging these days; it's a real shame. What do we have to do? Class action?

backhand


RE: Ya
Bandit788 @ 5/24/2004 12:13:23 PM #
Crap, I have lost all four scews. My sister's T3 is missing two, and I have a co-worker with a T3 who is missing her's also. OK, when three of the three people I know, who have T3's, are missing screws from their device, this is a serious design problem. I can get no resolve from palm, or palmone. We should file a class action.
Shane
Bandit788@triad.rr.com

Ah, typical old PalmInfocenter

alexp @ 12/17/2003 3:23:03 PM #
It never fails...

I hadn't visited PIC in a while, and the first time I check it out, I see a report on a Sony problem, which Sony is remedying.

There are 3 threads on the topic--1 give accolades to Sony, the other TWO take the opportunity to do what? Bash Palm.

Now, I'm not defending Palm--the SD card issue is one they need to address. BUT, shouldn't comments related to that pertain to an article ABOUT PALM? One would think so, but here at PIC, I guess not. Perhaps the site should be renamed PBC, as in "Palm-Bashing Center."

Sony Recall!

phoneboy @ 12/18/2003 1:20:28 PM #
This gives me hope that Sony may recall the UX-50 due to excessive, high-pitched screen buzz that is common on hundreds of these models.

I wish...

RE: Sony Recall!
mikey p @ 12/26/2003 7:57:33 AM #
my screen is acting up. it would make a huge dip at the top an less at the bottom, its only 3.5 months old an there fixing it for free

main pda is the only one for me
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